How funny - we just got back from Newport. I had a fabulous chowder and fresh fish sandwich at Flo's Crab Shack across from Easton Beach. My husband raved about the fried clams and his red chowder. It's a shack, but it's a shack with personality and a cute bar up top. Highly recommended!

Hey WJ, What is the name of that expensive Seafood Buffet up there in your tiny state? It was in the $60 range when it was last commented on here...Is it still in operation? Any recent reviews of it? Where is it located?

Hey WJ, What is the name of that expensive Seafood Buffet up there in your tiny state? It was in the $60 range when it was last commented on here...Is it still in operation? Any recent reviews of it? Where is it located?

Al, you're thinking of the Nordic Lodge. www.nordic-lodge.comYes it's still in operation and still open seasonally. It's in Charleston which is in the southern part of the state on the coast. I've never been there, guess I'm still looking for a hot Sandra Bullock lookalike to take with me!!

Salas's is certainly worth seeking out and is very Roadfoodish, however I don't believe that they open for lunch. Every time I've tried to go there during the day they've been closed, and I seem to remember that the posted opening time was 5:00 PM. Call first.

The Brick Alley Pub on Thames Street always gets rave reviews from Rhode Island magazines as the place where the locals go, and where you can get reasonably priced, tasty, huge portions of all sorts of foods, from seafood, to burgers, to a great salad bar. When I was there with the family last year I really enjoyed pretty much everything but the fact that since it is a local hangout with a good rep, it can get crowded very quickly and become very noisy, depending on who is there..lots of families, though, with young children, in addition to seniors and young singles hanging out at the huge bar.